Your organization likely uses a myriad of software solutions — which aren’t used as they should be. Ever wondered what the cost of this wasted technology really is? In the U.S. and U.K. alone, the total cost of under- or unused software is over $30 billion per year — not a negligible amount, especially in our current economic and health crisis.
There are several reasons software adoption is a challenge, and they all have little to do with software adoption. The real reason so much technology is wasted is that user adoption is rarely considered important. Understanding the difference between software adoption and user adoption is vital for businesses to reduce this waste.
Software Adoption Versus User Adoption
The difference between software adoption and user adoption is one of perspective. Your focus should be on the end user of any given software, not the software itself. After all, the true value of any software lies in its use. What good is the world’s best solution if no one leverages it?
Here is where the concept of user adoption comes in. Place the power of adoption in the hands of your users, and empower them with the necessary tools and support to do so effectively, and you will no longer struggle with software adoption.
Conventional business wisdom revolves around dehumanizing interactions between the organization and its employees or between the company and its customers. Modern businesses can no longer afford to practice this approach, because as times have changed, so have employees and customers. Changing to a people-first approach is the only way forward.
How to Increase Software Adoption
Here are four steps to make sure that employees adopt all essential software:
1. Create a Buzz Around New Software
Remember that people are not all cut from the same cloth. While there may be employees who take to technology like fish to water, there will always employees who resist it. Between these two extremes, there are usually employees who are skeptical, or disinterested in adopting a new software.
To capture interest and bring all employees to a similar (if not the same) level of enthusiasm, plan a “launch event” of sorts. Gather all employees, and bring them up to speed on how the new software will improve their work and productivity — the WIIFT (what’s in it for them). Create a buzz around the new software so that employees are curious to see what the excitement is all about!
2. Identify and Equip Early Adopters
Once you’ve rolled out the software, identify key players on each team who can guide their colleagues in using it. Early adopters can play a huge role in helping their peers learn to navigate the software. They are often more effective than formal training, as their conversations are one-on-one and among colleagues, rather than trainer-trainee interactions.
Of course, classroom training sessions are usually still important. But a lot of learning happens outside the classroom, and to build momentum, you will need to leverage the help of early adopters.
3. Create How-to Kits, and Provide Complete Support
Different employees prefer to learn in different ways, so make sure you tick all the boxes when it comes to providing them with everything they need. Not all software are user-friendly, especially when it comes to enterprise software, so it might take some time for all employees to feel comfortable with a new program or platform.
Provide training guides, manuals, how-tos and whatever else you think would make employees’ lives easier. Host regular refresher sessions until the software has been successfully adopted throughout the organization. Leave no stone unturned, because the sooner and better employees adopt the software, the lower the chances of its becoming a wasted expense.
4. Use Technology to Ensure Continued Adoption
Digital adoption platforms (DAPs) are technical solutions designed to solve the problem of enterprise software adoption. With intuitive on-screen guidance and walk-throughs, these solutions sit on top of any web-based applications, helping users at every stage and prompting them when they hesitate or are stuck. Some DAPs also analyze software usage and then provide insights on where there are bottlenecks so you can customize support and training accordingly.
Occam’s razor tells us that the best way to solve enterprise software adoption challenges is probably the simplest way. When there are technological solutions that can save you money, drastically reduce your effort and have a proven record of success, use them!
